The Paralympic Games are continuing a summer of sporting excellence.
Thousand of athletes from all over the world are competing in the 2024 Games, which are taking place just over two weeks since the Olympics drew to a close.
Though it celebrates multiple disciplines of sport like the Olympics, the event has some significantly different traditions and practices, particularly when it comes to the medals the athletes receive in their respective sports.
For blind athletes taking part in the Games, how are they able to tell which medal they have won?
How do blind Paralympians know which medal they’ve won?
The medals given at the Paralympic Games are designed to be texturally distinctive from one another and are also engraved with braille.
In Rio 2016, the gold, silver and bronze medals had a rattle-like element, in order for Paralympians with visual impairments to be able to hear what medal they were holding.
The bronze medals were fitted with 16 steel balls, making the softest rattle sound, the silver medals had 20, and the gold medals had 28 balls – making the loudest noise.
However, the 2024 designs do not feature this unique sound element, but will still feature braille in line with the regulations of the International Paralympic Committee.
What are the Paralympics medals made out of?
The medals in use in Paris are the same as the ones used at the Olympics.
Each medal on offer in Paris contains original iron from the Eiffel Tower.
Iron components have been permanently removed from the tower during reconstruction work over the years.
The medals feature the iron as hexagons in the middle of the designs – the geometrical shape of France.
Explaining the design on the official Olympic website, the Games state: ‘This symbol is a reminder of the whole nation’s engagement in delivering an historic Olympic and Paralympic Games.
‘Stripped of its “Eiffel Tower brown” paint, the iron is returned to its original colour. Placed in the centre and imprinted with the emblem of the Paris 2024 Games, this piece of heritage fits perfectly within the gold, silver and bronze core of the medal.’
